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House of Gushungo has become one of the coolest labels to be seen wearing in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, after the fledgling fashion brand started producing a range of T-shirts, umbrellas, berets and sportswear bearing the 89-year-old's signature.

"The young guys are into fashion. They talk about label, label, label... he [Mugabe] is already a brand himself" Saint Mahaka, the label's designer, told the
BBC.

"We decided, there is Versace, there is Polo, there is Tommy Hilfiger, people are putting on these labels, but don't know who they are and what the story is. We know President Mugabe's story, we know who he is."

Nonetheless, the label's popularity in the capital has come as a something of a surprise for a traditionally anti-Mugabe region, and has now led to a dispute between the Zanu-PF party and House of Gushungo over the use of his signature.

"It's an intellectual property which we have to maintain. We have allowed every Jack and Jill to do what they like about the whole thing... The main reason why the brand is so popular is that he is a highly intellectual leader," claims Zanu-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo.

"We want to control it to make sure whoever is going to use it will have to pay something. So we are going to restrict it as a party."

T-shirts bearing the 'R G Mugabe' signature, which sell for up to £10, sold out at a stall during the Zanu-PF party conference in December, and although the company does not have an official outlet at present, it plans to open a shop in central Harare, soon.

President Mugabe, who faces a referendum on a new constitution on Saturday and elections in July, was himself photographed wearing a baseball cap from the range bearing the logo '1924' - the year of his birth - at his recent 89th birthday celebrations.